Page 48 of Always You (A Lilac Bay Novel)

CHAPTER 9

“Riley, where do you want me to put these lanterns?”

I looked up from my clipboard to see Becky Davis, a senior at the Island School, her arms full of flattened paper lanterns.

“Decorations should all go to Iris and Rose,” I told her, pointing across the square to where Iris and her grandmother were currently hanging twinkle lights from the posts of the gazebo.

“Got it,” Becky said. But she didn’t head off across the square. Instead she stood there in front of me, looking around with a wide smile on her face. “Isn’t this exciting?” she asked. “An actual real live TV show is going to be shot here tonight. On our little island.”

“Uh huh,” I muttered, returning to my list.

“I’ve been so nervous all week,” she continued, apparently oblivious to the overwhelming length of the to-do list in my hands. “I mean, what if I actually get on camera? What would I even say? How would I act?”

I glanced up at her sharply. “You’ll act the same way you do every day, Becky. We’re having the Fish Fry here tonight, the same event that we’ve had in this square every spring since you were born.”

“I know, but this is different.”

“No, it’s not. The camera crew wants to see us acting normally. The whole point of this feature is to see us in our natural environment, to get to know our town. They’ll see right through us if we’re fake or putting on a show.”

Her face clouded a little bit. “So maybe I should skip my hair appointment?”

“Your hair appointment?”

She nodded eagerly. “Yeah. Sherry is running a special this afternoon for any of the girls who want to get their hair done for the cameras.”

I closed my eyes briefly. Sherry may have been styling hair on this island for decades, but in that time she had only mastered two styles—the bad perm she herself sported, and the highly teased 80’s flashback updos that still passed for high fashion around here during prom season. I could just see it now—half the island’s teenagers walking around the square looking like extras from Footloose.

“Definitely skip your hair appointment,” I told Becky. “And please pass that along to your friends.”

“Got it,” she said. “I’ll just go give these lanterns to Iris.”

Just as I was about to writeDeal with Sherryon my list, I saw Libby heading across the green. I waved her over.

“You look stressed,” she said by way of greeting.

“Not so much stressed as filled with a desire to kill Sherry.” I explained what Becky had told me while she clearly tried not to laugh.

“Want me to deal with her?”

“Can you? Because that would be great.”

Libby peered over my shoulder at my list. “Looks like you have a lot left to do.”

“I swear to God, the list is growing.”

“Are you delegating?”

“Of course.” I pointed around the square. “Posey and Rose are in charge of decorations. David and Eddie are getting the tables set up. Cora is on drinks.”

“Then why is your list so long?” This time she grabbed the clipboard from me and began reading. “Make sure boys stagger food tables. Show Rose how to hang gazebo streamers.” She looked up at me, her expression a mixture of amusement and exasperation. “You’re only pretending to delegate!”

“I’m not—”

“This is micro-managing, Riley.”

“I just want everything to go smoothly.”

“Of course you do,” she said. “But you need to remember that they chose our town for a reason and that reason had nothing to do with being perfect.”